Vending-machine.



W. MEARS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 13. 19:1.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Aliorn eys.

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T al F WILLIAM MEARS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1a, 1918.

Application filed October 13, 1917. Serial No. 196,352;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MEARS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVending-Machines; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in vendingmachines.

One object of the invention is to provide a vending machine particularlyadapted for dispensing materials in cans, and more especially fordispensing cleaning compounds, soft soap and the like.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine of thecharacter indicated which will be simple in construction, positive inoperation and capable of being quickly manipulated making it especiallyadaptable for installation in work shops and factories for theconvenience of the en ployees.

My invention therefore consists in certain new and original features ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described in thespecification, particularly pointed out in the claims and the preferredembodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central verticalsectional view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectionon line 22,Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is a section on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig.1.

5 is a section on line 55, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 10 represents the body portion of the machine and asshown is a cylinder of sheet iron. The body portion 10 is provided witha deep cover 11 preferably made of the same material and having the sameshape and cross sectional area. The object of having the cover made deepis to give easy access to the interior of the ma-v chine when the coveris removed. It is designed that the cover shall be suitably locked tothe body portion when the machine is in use, as by a padlock shown at13. Within the body portion 10 at a distance below the rim thereof isarranged an annular track 14. The track is provided with bracket members15 which are rigidly secured to the body portion 10 by means of bolts16. On the track 14 is a series of rollers 17. On top of the rollers 17is an annular plate or table 18, and the outer bottom edge of the table18 is beveled and serrated forming a bevel gear shown at 19. Theperimeter of the table 18 is also serrated as shown at 20. On top of thetable 18 is mounted a series of U-shaped partitions 21 which arearranged with their open sides adjacent to the wall of the body portionand the said partitions extend up within the cover portion 11practically to the top thereof. In the rear side of each partition 21 atthe bottom thereof is formed an opening 22. These partitions formcompartments for the cans which are to be vended, and when it is desiredto fill the machine the cover is removed and the cans, indicated by O,are introduced into the compartments through the open sides of thepartitions and are stacked one on top of the other the full height ofthe partitions. It might be noted here that the aforementioned opening22 is made just a little larger than a. can and is the delivery openingfor the can when the vending mechanism is operated. On the outside ofthe body portion just below the table 18is a bearing 24. A stud shaft 25is mounted in the bearing 24, and the end thereof extends through thewall of the body portion 10 and thereon is mounted a bevel gear 26 whichmeshes with the bevel ear on the table 18. On the outer end of the studshaft 25 is secured a crank handle 27. By turning the handle 27 thetable 18 can be caused to revolve within the body portion 10 therebybringing in rotation the different compartments in the proper positionso that the cans therein can be operated upon by the vending mechanism.I

The vending mechanism is arranged as follows :In the body portion .10above the table 18 is formed an opening 30, and on the outside of thebody portion at this opening is secured a casing 31. Rigidly supportedin the casing 31 in line with the opening 30 is a guideway 32. In theguideway 32 is slidably mounted a bar or plunger 33 on the inner end ofwhich is arranged a head in the form of a curved plate 34. On the outerend of the plunger is a hand grip 35. Now, by pushing in on the plungerthe head 34 can be caused to engage the lowermost can in the compartmentwhich registers with the opening 22, and the continued inward movementof the plunger will shove the can off the annular table and the can willfall through the center of the table to the bottom of the machine. Achute 37 is provided for gulding the cans during their fall. Also, anopening 38 is formed in the body portion 10 for removing the cans whenthe machine is standing on a shelf or similar support. Any su1tablecoin-controlled locking mechanism may be used for locking the plungeragainst movement, and in the drawings is shown a very simple andconventional arrangement. ithin the casing 31 is mounted a small shaft40,

and on the shaft is pivoted a lever 41. In the top surface of theplunger 33 is formed a notch 42, and on one end of the lever 41 isarranged a rigid latch 43 which extends out at a right angle from-thelever. The end of the latch 43 is adapted to lie in the notch 42 whenthe plunger 33 is in its outermost position and lock the plunger againstmovement. On the top of the plunger is secured a leaf spring 45, thefree end of which extends over the notch 42. On the shaft 40 is a spring46 which is arranged to exert a pressure on the lever 41 tending to holdthe latch 43 in the notch 42. I11 the top of the casing 31 is formed acoin slot 47 which registers with the end of the lever 41 opposite tothe latch carrying end and which we will call the coin engaging end ofthe lever. Now, if a coin be forced through the slot 47 it will pushdown the coin-engaging end of the lever and raise the latch carrying endof the lever, lifting the latch 43 out of the notch 42. As the latch 43moves up it lifts the end of the spring and the spring snaps back underthe latch preventing the latch from falling back into the notch 42before the plunger has been moved. As the plunger is pushed in thespring 45 Will move from under the latch permitting the latch to falldown on the plunger and be in position to reenter the notch when theplunger is again pulled out. It will be understood that the plunger canbe operated only once on the same coin, for when the plunger is pushedin and displaces a can the upper can rests on the plunger and theplunger must be pulled back in order that the can may move down, and assoon as the plungeris pulled back far enough to permit this the latchengages the plunger and locks it.

In order that the compartments may be made to register with the opening30 in the wall of the body portion 10, the following mechanism isprovided :On the under side of the table 18 is formed a series ofnotches 50 which are spaced apart a distance equal to the width of acompartment. On the inner edge of the track 14 adjacent to the opening30 is pivoted a bell-cranklever 51. The shorter and lighter end of thelever is provided with a shoe 52 having a cam surface whichextends upalongside of the inner edgeof the table 18 exactlyroppositel the opening30. The longer arm of the lever is provided with a latch-forming lug 53which is adapted to enter the notches 50. It is de signed that the canswhich are used in the machine shall be larger in diameter than the widthof the table 18 and therefore as the table is revolved the projecting oroverhanging portion of the bottom can in a compartment will ride up onthe shoe 52, and as the table continues to revolve a notch 50 will bebrought into registration with the lug 53 on the lever 51 and thepressure of the can will force the shoe-carrying arm of the lever down,which will raise the lugcarrying arm and the lug will enter the notchpreventing further movement of the table, and the compartment will be inthe proper alinement with the opening 30. hen all the cans have beendisplaced from a compartment the shoecarrying arm of the lever will befree to move up and the lug-carrying arm will fall down of its ownweight, withdrawing the lug from the notch and leaving the table free torevolve. A stop 56 is preferably provided to prevent the lever frommoving too far. In the top of the table within each compartment isformed a radial groove 59. A dog or bumper 60 is arranged in the groove59 and hinged at its inner end to the table. Under the free end of thedog is arranged a coil spring 61. When there is a can in a compartmentthe weight of the can will press the dog down into the groove, but whenall the cans have been displaced and the plunger Withdrawn the end ofthe dog will be lifted above the surface of the table by the coil spring61 and will be in the path of the plunger preventing the plunger frombeing again pushed into the compartment. Now, when the would bepurchaser, after dropping a coin into the slot, finds that the plungerwill not move in, he will take hold of the crank handle and revolve thetable until the next compartment is brought into registration with theopening 30. It will then be possible to push in the plunger and secure acan without using another coin. In order to prevent the table 18 frombeing turned in the wrong direction a pawl 63 is mounted on a support 64so as to engage with the teeth 20 on the perimeter of the table 18. Aspring 65 is provided for exerting a yielding pressure on the pawl sothat the pawl can move out when the table is turned in the rightdirection, but will be held in engagement with the teeth when an attemptis made to turn thetable in the wrong direction. I

While I have very particularly described the arrangement of my machine,I do not wish to be limited to the construction shown, as modificationscan be made in the construction'without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

' \Vhat I claim is y 1. In a machine of the character indicated,

a casing, an annular track mounted in said casing, rollers arranged onsaid track, an annular table mounted on said rollers, said table havinggear teeth, a stud shaft extending through the wall of said casing, agear wheel secured on said shaft and arranged to mesh with the gearteeth on the table, a handle on the outer end of said shaft, means onsaid table for supporting the articles which are to be vended and meansoperable from the outside of the casing for displacing one article at atime from said table.

2. In a machine of the character indicated, the combination of a casing,an annular table mounted in said casing and capable of revolving on itssupport, means for revolving the table, means for locking the tableagainst movement in one direction, other means for locking the table atpredetermined positions, means on the table for supporting the articleswhich are to be vended and means operable from outside the casing fordisplacing one article at a time from said table.

3. In a machine of the character indicated, a body portion having aremovable cover, an annular table revolubly mounted in said bodyportion, said body portion having an opening in'its Wall above saidtable, means for turning said table, said table having a series ofequally spaced notches near its inner edge, a bell-crank lever supportedadjacent to said table, one arm of said lever carrying a shoe adapted tobe engaged by the articles supported on said table and the other armhaving a 1n adapted to fit into the notches in said tab e and meansoperable outside of said body portion for displacing the articles whichare to be vended from said table.

4. In a machine of the character indicated, a body portion having aremovable cover, an annular table revolubly mounted in said bodyportion, said body portion having an opening above said table, means forturning said table, partitions arranged 011 said table and formingcompartments having slightly larger cross-sectional area than thearticles which are to be vended, each partition having an outlet openingat its lower end, means operable by the articles in each compartment forlocking the compartment in line with the opening in the Wall of the bodyportion, a casing arranged on the outside of said body portion, aplunger slidably supported in said casing and capable of movementthrough the opening in the wall of the body-portion and into acompartment, coin-controlled means for locking said plunger againstmovement and means arranged in each compartment for preventing theentrance of the plunger therein after all the articles have beendisplaced from the compartment.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in thepresence of two Wit nesses.

WILLIAM MEARS.

Witnesses:

VICTOR C. LYNCH, B. C. BROWN.

- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

